Toothbrush



' 35mm 9 @2f G. o. BURLEW TOOTHBRUSH Filed Sept. l0, 1927a INVENTOR.

vIt() Patented Apr.. Q, @29.

u ir

j GILDEROY o. Bunnnw, or NEWARL'NEW alinear.

application alea fseptember r1o, 19a?. sensi no. 218,696.

. The composition consists of a mixture of l0 twov well-known materials,to wit, sponge and rubber in such proportions and in the manner Vhereinafter disclosed.

Sponge, 'as is well-known commercially, is

an animal substance, being the skeleton of a marine-animal, having anextremely porous consistency composed ,of a network of elastic tenaciousfibers, remaining after the removal o of the living matter, these4fibers, when magni lied, appearing as slender bodies, resembling horn,integrally connected to enclose more or less minute chambers eachcapable of absorbf ing liquid to the point of saturation.

The action of a wet sponge is known'to be sodden, sluggish and dull,having in effect a clinging tendency, highly useful when used iii"wiping a surface. l

Rubber on the contrary ishighly elastic, substantially non-absorbentvegetable product having the property of gliding over a wet surfacerather than adhering to it.l It may be colored by the incorporationofdesired pigments, toughened and hardened by Y heat,'as invulcanization, and readily lends itself to molding operations wherebyany shape may be produced.

Experience has demonstrated that a tooth brush composed solely of rubberdoes not have a desirable clinging and wiping effect, but

slides over the wet surfaces, Whereas 4the introduction of spongefragments is foundtocounteract such tendenc, causing the brush to gripand drag over t e surfaces irrespective of their condition. l

A lso due to the porous nature of the sponge, r a cleansing preparationmay be applied and caused to Aclean the teeth in an effective manner. o.

Figure 1 represents a blank' showing the .composition ofthe materialusedf'in'making l my improved tooth brush, Figure2 repre- `50 'sents'aside elevational view of a tooth brush made in accordance with myinvention.

It is preferred tol use `the ingredients in about the bulk proportion oftwenty percent sponge and eighty percent rubber, but a very considerablelatitude may be included inaccorance with the purpose for which-it isuse.

The manner of making the composition is simple, consist-ing merely ofcomminuting the y sponge by-chopping or the like to produce smallfragments 6,- such as would readily pass through a screen-of 10 to 20per inch, dispose the same in molds with fragments of pure fresh rubbergum and submit 'the whole to a 65 i-'ulcanizing process. The relativeproportion of sponge and rubber may be varied from one fifth to one halfof the entire mass.

lt is found the rubber 5 will penetrate the interstices of the spongefragments, binding 70 them firmly, but permitting the s onge to retainits pro erty of absorptioman as Wear takes place, t e fine fibers of thesponge give the object a downy, fur-like appearance that operates as anexcellent wiping surface.

Having thus described my invention and set forth the best known mannerof preparing and mixing the ingredients, what claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, 1s-:- Y

l. A toothbrush composed wholly of a pliable-composition comprisingrubber forty to eighty parts by measure, and chopped` sponge twenty toforty parts by measure, said rubber and sponge being subjected to heatsufficient' to cause coalescenee, said sponge protruding from thesurface of the rubber.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of a tooth brush having amolded-body having a plurality of vintegral prongs composed wholly ofrubber having fragments of sponge incorporated therein, said spongeprotruding from the surface of the rubber.

This specification signed and witnessed this eighth day of Se tember,1927.

GIEDEROY 0. BLEW,

